Hockey helmet



A ril 30, 1963 L. D. HOWARD 3,087,166

HOCKEY HELMET Filed Dec. 6. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Izwmaat Lai'iaefi D.Howafld,

April 30, 1963 D. HOWARD 3,

HOCKEY HELMET Filed Dec. 6. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IaweufomLufizeWfl.Howa: d, by w J United Stat My present invention relates toathletic equipment and especially protective head gear for participantsin games such as hockey. More particularly it aims to provide animproved specialized helmet for hockey players, especially ice hockeybut useful also for head protection for par ticipants in field hockey,lacrosse and other sports involving the use of sticks and pucks orballs.

The helmet as herein disclosed by way of example is particularly adaptedfor use by juvenile and little league ice hockey players. Among theobjects of the invention is to provide for such helmet the capacity ofsimple and rapid adjustment to various head sizes, so that a givenhelmet is quickly fittable to players differing in head size. Theresultant universal helmet, with respect to head size variation, furtherenables a team to be adequately equipped by a lesser number of helmet-sthan if a plurality of each of the entire range of sizes had to be keptavailable. The same applies also to the retail sports goods dealers, inthat under the present invention they need not carry such extensivestocks of helmets of dilferent sizes.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of theinvention:

FIG. 1 shows the helmet in side elevation in use position on a wearer;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the helmet of FIG. 1 but with an innerlayer of the back panel unstitched and folded forward in order moreclearly to show the construction and arrangement of certain adjustablesecuring means of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a rear View of the helmet in an intermediate position ofadjustment, substantially as in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the helmet as a wholecomprises a front panel 5 and a back panel 6, each separatelyconstructed and permanently connected centrally of the upper margins asby a strap 7 of elastic webbing of substantial strength and having theopposite front and back ends securely fixed to the front and back panels5 and 6 respectively. This top connector strap 7 is of a length toextend centrally over the wearers head and possesses longitudinalelasticity affording capacity for the two panels 5, 6 to be separatedone from the other under resilient tensioning of the webbing strap 7 inthe fore and aft direction, for accommodating different head sizes ofdifferent wearers and for retaining the helmet in worn position at anyadjusted size thereof.

The front panel 5 comprises a generally half circular element includingan intermediate frontal portion 9 for covering the wearers forehead andhaving integral with it side portions 11, 11 including dependent areas11a, 11a adapted to cover the wearers temples. Such front panel iscomposed of :a plurality of layers or laminations including a toughflexible but form-retaining outer layer 13 of natural or artificialleather, flexible fibreboard or the like, an inner cushioning layer 15of heavy felt, foamed synthetic or natural rubber or other cushioningmaterial and at least at the central portion an inner covering layer 17of soft flexible material such as suede leather or the like adapted toserve as a sweat band. These several layers are secured together as bystrong through stitching as indicated at 19.

The back panel 6 likewise is of laminar construct-ion. It comprises aconvexo-concave outer semi-rigid formretaining and relatively stiffouter layer 8 of fibreboard, natural or artifical leather or the like, aseparate atent internal layer 10 of the similar or preferably somewhatstiifer sheet material secured to the inner face of the outer layer 8only at spaced points as by a number of rivets 10a of which three areindicated on FIG. 3; see also FIG. 1. This back panel 6 is of a size andshape to extend from adjacent the wearers crown downwardly over thebasal portion of the skull and the described inner member 10 reinforcesthe major central and lower portion of the outer panel member 8. At theinner face of the internal piece 10 and of the margin portions of theouter member 8 is a heavy cushioning layer 12 of felt, foam material orthe like similarly as for the front panel 5. Said outer and inner layers8 and 12 are secured together as a unit as by the heavy throughstitching 14.

The front and back panels 5 and 6 which together comprise the body ofthe helmet are further and adjustably interconnected, in addition to theconnecting overhead elastic webbing 7, by flexible side connector strips20 and 21. These each comprise a length of longitudinally resilientelastic webbing having the front ends fixedly attached as a 22, 23 tothe rear edges of the front panel 5 as by insertion between the layersthereof and anchoring by the described stitching 19. At each of theupper side margins I01 corner areas of the back panel 6 the outer member8 of the latter has a generally vertical slot 16, 18 through which thefree end-s of the side connector strips 20, 21 are slidably passed intothe space between the outer and inner layers 8, 10 of said panel 6. Saidstrip ends thus located within the panel 6 are each turned back upon andsecurely stitched to themselves to provide loops 2'4, 25 for the helmetadjusting and securing purposes to be described.

Desirably the helmet further comprises an under-chin harness orstrap-type connector means such as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. Suchmeans as shown comprises at each side of the helmet a dependent strapelement 26 of V-form having the flared upper ends of the legs insertedbetween the layers of and stitched to the lower margins of the front andback panels 5, 6 respectively. Such depending strap elements, each ofwhich may be of a single strap of leather or other material folded uponitself, are adapted to be adjustably interconnected at their lower endsas by a cross connector strap of elastic webbing 27. One end of suchconnector strap 27 is permanently attached as by stitching to the lowerend of one of the depending side straps 26, as at 27a, FIG. l2, and theother end is adapted for releasable and adjustable attachment to thelower end of the other depending side strap 26 as by snap fastener means29, 29, FIGS. 1 and 2. For purposes of adjustment said cross connectorpiece 27 may have a number of alternatively available fastener elementsdistributed along it or it may be equipped with a sliding buckle membersuch as 30, FIG. 1, which itself carries at the inner face a snapfastener element for cooperation with such element at the lower end ofthe adjacent depending side strap 26.

Further in accordance with the invention, quickly available and readilymanipulable means .is provided in association with the front and backpanels and the side straps 20, 21 thereof. Said means as illustratedcomprises a single unitary tie cord 35 together with two pairs of portsor cord passage formations in the outer layer 8 of the back panel 6 atthe upper central area thereof. These include an upper laterally spacedand generally horizontally aligned port pair 36, 37 and a lowergenerally similarly spaced port pair 38, 39 in approximate vertigal linerespectively with the individual upper ports 36, 3

The adjusting cord element 35, having at each end a suitable tyinglength thereof at the outside of the back panel, is passed inwardlythrough an upper port 36, noting particularly FIG. 2, thence laterallyoutwardly across 3 to and through the loop 24 of the adjacent sideconnector strap 20, thence reversely laterally 'back to and out throughthe lower port 38 vertically below the port 36 through which it entered.Externally of the back panel 6 said adjusting draw cord 35 extendslaterally across to and then inward through the other lower port 39,then laterally across to and through the loop 25 of the adjacent'otherside strap 21 and thence reversely back to and out through the otherupper port 37 to the exterior of the back panel 6 where again asufficient length of the cord is made available for tying purposes inany relative position of adjustment of the front and back panels.

Assuming that the two panels 5, 6 of the helmet are in an intermediaterelative position of size adjustment, as for example as in FIGS. 1 and2, and it is desired to adjust the helmet to a smaller head size, it isnecessary merely to untie the ends of the cord 35 and grasp the readilyavailable external projecting end portions thereof and draw upon themequally. As evident from examination of FIG. 2, such outward draft uponthe two end portions of the cord 35 shortens the inside-panel loopedportions thereof, thereby at the same time drawing the loops 24, 25 ofthe two side straps 20, 21 laterally and rearwardly toward each otherand toward the center of the back panel 6. By reason of the circuitouslooping of the cord through the series of ports 36-39 frictionalengagement particularly of the external cord portion 35x with the backpanel between the lower ports 38, 39 tends to hold the parts in anyposition of relative adjustment to which they are moved. Suchpositioning is further insured by tying together the two outer endportions of the cord 35 in the manner as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3.Conversely, relative adjustment of the panels for accommodating thehelmet to larger head sizes is readily effected by an oppositeprocedure, again by untying the adjusting cord 35 and manually drawingapart the front and back panels 5, 6 to whatever extent is de siredwithin the range capacity of the particular helmet.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereofillustrated and described herein, and I set .forth its scope in myfollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A hockey helmet comprising a front panel conformant to a wearersforehead and including lateral temple cover portions, a convexo-concaveback panel in opposition to the front panel and having a lower portionto overlie the base of the wearers skull, said panels each having aplurality of component laminations including outer tough andform-retaining layers, inner cushioning layers and at least as to thefront panel an inside covering layer of soft flexible material alongitudinal elastic top connecting web with opposite ends securedcentrally to the upper margins of the front and back panels, anadjustable and releasably connecting chin harness including strapmembers extending from the lower side portions at each of the front andrear panels and including means for interconnecting them adjustablybelow the wearers chin, and adjustable interconnecting means between theupper rear portion of the front panel and the upper front portion of theback panel, at each side thereof, said means comprising rearwardlyextending straps respectively anchored at the front ends to said upperrear front-panel portions, vertical slot formations in said upper frontportion of the back panel adapted slidably to receive said strapstherethrough, the latter having closed loops at the free ends internallyof the back panel, upper and lower pairs of horizontally spaced ports atthe central region 'of the back panel, a heavy flexible tie cord havingthe respective free end portions outside the back panel, said tie cordextending in to and out from the interior of the back panel throughvertically adjacent ports of the upper and the lower pair thereof andhaving portions Within the back panel through the loops of the straps ofthe adjustable panel interconnecting means whereby draft on the endportions of the cord outside the back panel serves to move the panelstoward each other for reducing the helmet headsize, said cord beingreleasable for re verse separation of the panels for increasing thehelmet headsize, and there being a layer of padding material at theinner face of and secured to the back panel so as to cover the adjoinedloop ends of said straps and the portion of said tie cord whichinterconnects them.

2. A hockey helmet according to claim 1 wherein the under-chin harnesscomprises single V-turned opposite side straps secured to the lowermargins of the front and back panels at the respective-helmet sides andthe means for variably interconnecting them as appropriate for the givenhelmet wearer comprises an under-chin cross piece secured to one sidestrap and having snap fastener means cooperable with like means on theother side strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS863,315 Pierce Aug. 13, 1907 2,391,335 OBrien Dec. 18, 1945 2,607,036McCoy Aug. 19, 1952 2,768,380 Golomb Oct. 30, 1956 I 2,769,176 Grancsayet al. Nov. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 235,796 Switzerland May 1, 1945

1. A HOCKEY HELMET COMPRISING A FRONT PANEL CONFORMANT TO A WEARER''SFOREHEAD AND INCLUDING LATERAL TEMPLE COVER PORTIONS, A CONVEXO-CONCAVEBACK PANEL IN OPPOSITION TO THE FRONT PANEL AND HAVING A LOWER PORTIONTO OVERLIE THE BASE OF THE WEARER''S SKULL, SAID PANELS EACH HAVING APLURALITY OF COMPONENT LAMINATIONS INCLUDING OUTER TOUGH ANDFORM-RETAINING LAYERS, INNER CUSHIONING LAYERS AND AT LEAST AS TO THEFRONT PANEL AN INSIDE COVERING LAYER OF SOFT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL ALONGITUDINAL ELASTIC TOP CONNECTING WEB WITH OPPOSITE ENDS SECUREDCENTRALLY TO THE UPPER MARGINS OF THE FROMT AND BACK PANELS, ANADJUSTABLE AND RELEASABLY CONNECTING CHIN HARNESS INCLUDING STRAPMEMBERS EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER SIDE PORTIONS AT EACH OF THE FRONT ANDREAR PANELS AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING THEM ADJUSTABLYBELOW THE WEARER''S CHIN, AND ADJUSTABLE INTERCONNECTING MEANS BETWEENTHE UPPER REAR PORTION OF THE FRONT PANEL AND THE UPPER FRONT PORTION OFTHE BACK PANEL, AT EACH SIDE THEREOF, SAID MEANS COMPRISING REARWARDLYEXTENDING STRAPS RESPECTIVELY ANCHORED AT THE FRONT ENDS TO SAID UPPERREAR FRONT-PANEL PORTIONS, VERTICAL SLOT FORMATIONS IN SAID UPPER FRONTPORTION OF THE BACK PANEL ADAPTED SLIDABLY TO RECEIVE SAID STRAPSTHERETHROUGH, THE LATTER HAVING CLOSED LOOPS AT THE FREE ENDS INTERNALLYOF THE BACK PANEL, UPPER AND LOWER PAIRS OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED PORTS ATTHE CENTRAL REGION OF THE BACK PANEL, A HEAVY FLEXIBLE TIE CORD HAVINGTHE RESPECTIVE FREE END PORTIONS OUTSIDE THE BACK PANEL, SAID TIE CORDEXTENDING IN TO AND OUT FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE BACK PANEL THROUGHVERTICALLY ADJACENT PORTS OF THE UPPER AND THE LOWER PAIR THEREOF ANDHAVING PORTIONS WITHIN THE BACK PANEL THROUGH THE LOOPS OF THE STRAPS OFTHE ADJUSTABLE PANEL INTERCONNECTING MEANS WHEREBY DRAFT ON THE ENDPORTIONS OF THE CORD OUTSIDE THE BACK PANEL SERVES TO MOVE THE PANELSTOWARD EACH OTHER FOR REDUCING THE HELMET HEADSIZE, SAID CORD BEINGRELEASABLE FOR REVERSE SEPARATION OF THE PANELS FOR INCREASING THEHELMET HEADSIZE, AND THERE BEING A LAYER OF PADDING MATERIAL AT THEINNER FACE OF AND SECURED TO THE BACK PANEL SO AS TO COVER THE ADJOINEDLOOP ENDS OF SAID STRAPS AND THE PORTION OF SAID TIE CORD WHICHINTERCONNECTS THEM.